The owner of a major shopping mall wants permission from Montreal to build apartment towers of up to 35 stories along the Decari Highway, a scenario that would change the face of the sector.
Posted at 8:00 AM
The project relates to a commercial complex adjacent to the former Blue Bonnets racetrack, which has long promised to redevelop real estate.
SmartCentres REIT wants to “increase allowable density to 35 stories for condominium construction, condominium rentals and mixed-use buildings,” according to a statement made by the lobbyist registry on behalf of the company. The current density of the site is between one and two stories. »
The shopping center operated by SmartCentres REIT currently includes about two dozen brands, including a large Walmart store. The land is located on both sides of the rue Jean-Talon Ouest, south of the Décarie motorway. Served by Namur metro station.
Above all, it is the immediate neighbor of the former Blue Bonnets racetrack, a vacant lot where the city hopes to build 12,500 affordable housing units in the coming years.
‘Very preliminary’
In an interview with JournalismA SmartCentres REIT spokesperson said that despite the authorization on the Lobbyist registry, the company is still in the consideration stage. Herbert Nunes said, “We are discussing with the city about the vision. It is very, very, very preliminary in terms of what we are looking at with the city.”
Mr. Nunes argued that the 35-story building was not a pariah. “No one knows how many floors it will end up,” he said.
There is no official request or request made by us. We are in the process of working according to the demands and needs of the city.
Herbert Nunes, spokesperson for SmartCentres REIT
In Mayor Valerie Blunt’s office, we welcome these steps without commenting on the merits of the case.
“We are already seeing the benefit [promoteurs] for the Namur-Hippodrome ecological neighborhood project and its surroundings, while the management is determined to create a carbon-neutral living environment based on sustainable mobility, social diversity, the presence of green spaces and shops,” noted Marichem Godriault, Communications Director Valerie Plant.
She added: “Any duly registered lobby member is entitled to file representations in accordance with their mandate, but remember that any project submitted will follow the usual regulatory process and will be analyzed in accordance with the applicable framework.”
Reinventing centers commercial
It is Stantec, a major Canadian engineering firm, that lobbies for Smart Centers REIT with municipal authorities. Several Stantec employees are registered with the registry with the same authorization, so they can legally communicate with the city about the project.
The project to redevelop the shopping center site at the intersection of the Autoroute Décarie and rue Jean-Talon Ouest is part of a broader perspective for SmartCentres: adapting to the e-commerce boom since the beginning of the pandemic. The housing shortage creates favorable opportunities for converting projects into housing.
“We look at all our sites from the same perspective: How do we reinvent them? Mr. Nunes said.
